MG T-type

The TA Midget replaced the PB in 1936. It was an evolution of the previous car and was wider in its track at and longer in its wheelbase at . The previous advanced overhead-cam inline-four engine was by then not in use by any other production car so it was replaced by the MPJG OHV unit from the Wolseley Ten, but with twin SU carburettors, modified camshaft and manifolding. The engine displaced just 1292 cc, with a stroke of and a bore of and power output was 50 hp (40.3 kW) at 4,500 rpm. The four-speed manual gearbox gained synchromesh on the two top ratios and was connected to the engine by a cork-faced clutch running in oil. Unlike the PB, hydraulic brakes were fitted with drums. Like the PB, most were two-seat open cars with a steel body on an ash frame. A bench-type seat was fitted with storage space behind. The T-type was capable of reaching almost in standard tune with a 0–60 mph time of 23.1 seconds. Allan Tomlinson won the 1939 Australian Grand Prix handicap driving an MG TA. 3,003 were made and in 1936 it cost £222 on the home market, the same as the PB. When first introduced the model was known as the T Type and only after the advent of the TB did the TA designation come into use. Tickford drophead coupé From 1938 the car could also be had with a more luxurious Tickford drophead coupé body by Salmons of Newport Pagnell, and 252 were made. The soft top could be used in three positions, fully open, closed or open just over the seats. Wind-up windows were fitted to the higher topped doors making the car more weathertight and individual bucket seats used in the fully carpeted interior. Complete chassis were fitted with a very basic body at the Abingdon factory and driven to Newport Pagnell to have their coachwork fitted. Airline fixed head coupé driving a TA A closed Airline coupé made by Carbodies, as fitted to the P type, was also offered but only one or two are thought to have been made. ==TB Midget==

The TA was replaced by the TB Midget in May 1939. It had a smaller but more modern XPAG engine as fitted to the Morris Ten Series M, but in a more highly tuned state and like the TA with twin SU carburettors. This 1250 cc straight-four unit featured a slightly less undersquare bore and stroke and had a maximum power output of at 5200 rpm. The oil-immersed clutch was also replaced by a dry-plate type and gear ratios revised. Available as an open two-seater or more luxurious Tickford drophead coupé, this is the rarest of the T-type cars, as production began just prior to Britain's entry into World War II. Only 379 TBs were made before the MG factory emptied its buildings and switched to making major aircraft components and modifying tanks. File:1939 MG TB Roadster in Black, rear right (Greenwich 2025).jpg|1939 TB Roadster; rear view File:MG TB Tickford 1939.jpg|1939 Tickford drophead coupé ==TC Midget==

The TC Midget was the first postwar MG, The XPAG engine is well known for its tunability. The TC engine was a slightly improved version of the XPAG first introduced to MG in the TB. Notable improvement was through the addition of a hydraulically (oil pressure) adjusted timing chain tensioner. All TCs utilized a (single battery) 12 volt electrical system. All TCs came with 19" Dunlop wire wheels. Automatic mechanical timing advance was built into the ignition distributor. It was exported to the United States, even though the car was only ever built in right-hand drive. The export version had slightly smaller US specification sealed-beam headlights (7-inch buckets) and twin tail lights, as well as turn signals and chromed front and rear bumpers with over riders. The body was approximately 4 inches (100 mm) wider than the TB measured at the rear of the doors to give more cockpit space. The overall car width remained the same resulting in narrower running boards with two tread strips as opposed to the previous three. The tachometer was directly in front of the driver, while the speedometer/odometer was on the other side of the dash in front of the passenger, a nod to MG's trials history. 10,001 TCs were produced, from September 1945 (chassis number TC0251) to November 1949 (chassis number TC10251), more than any previous MG model. It cost £527 on the home (UK) market in 1947. Fuel consumption was . Its 0–60 mph time was 22.7 seconds, a respectable performance at the time. A low fuel warning light would glow on the dash to alert the driver. ==TD Midget==

The TD Midget, announced in January 1950, combined the TC's drivetrain, a modified hypoid-geared rear axle, the MG Y-type chassis, a familiar T-type style body and independent suspension on front axle using coil springs from the MG Y-type saloon: a 1950 road-test report described as "most striking" the resulting "transformation ... in the comfort of riding". In addition the TD featured smaller disc type road wheels, a left-hand drive option and standard equipment bumpers and over-riders. The car was also wider with a track of . It was seen by enthusiasts at the time as a disappointment, mild and "not a sports car", instead "largely designed to consolidate and expand the car's sale in North America." The 0– time was 22.7 seconds according to Popular Mechanics. An example tested by The Motor magazine in 1952 had a top speed of and could accelerate from 0– in 18.2 seconds. A fuel consumption of was recorded. File:Interior 1953 MG TD - MUF 980 - (9088777668).jpg|1953 TD instrument panel File:Engine Bay 1953 MG TD - MUF 980 - (9086564929).jpg|1953 TD engine bay File:MG TD (1953) , Dutch licence registration DL-03-98 pic3.JPG|1953 TD badge In 1998, the rights, intellectual properties and trademarks associated with the production of the MG TD were acquired by TD Cars Sdn Bhd in Malaysia to reproduce the TD series as TD2000. ==TF and TF 1500 Midget==

The TF Midget, launched on 15 October 1953, was a facelifted TD, fitted with the TD Mark II engine, headlights faired into the wings, a sloping radiator grille concealing a separate radiator, and a new pressurised cooling system along with a simulated external radiator cap. This XPAG engine's compression ratio had been increased to 8.1:1 and extra-large valves with stronger valve springs and larger carburettors increased output to 57.5 bhp at 5,500 rpm. In mid-1954 the engine capacity was increased by 17 per cent to 1466 cc and designated XPEG. The bore was increased to and compression raised to 8.3:1 giving at 5,000 rpm and a 17 per cent increase in torque. The car was designated TF1500, and externally distinguished by a cream background enamel nameplate on both sides of the bonnet, placed just to the rear of the forward bonnet-release buttons. Production ended at chassis number TF10100 on 4 April 1955 after 9,602 TFs had been manufactured, including two prototypes and 3,400 TF1500s. The TF was superseded by the all new MGA. File:1955 MG TF 1500, rear left (Hershey 2019).jpg|MG TF 1500, rear view File:MG TF - Flickr - exfordy (2).jpg|Octagonal instrument bezels in a TF 1500 ==See also==